TBI stats show crime, arrests down in Maury County, Columbia

TBI stats show crime, arrests down in Maury County, Columbia

TBI stats show crime, arrests down in Maury County, Columbia

While the overall crime rate is decreasing countywide, narcotics problems and domestic violence continue to grow in some areas of Maury County, according to data released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

TBI on Tuesday released its annual “Crime in Tennessee” report for 2013, which compiles statistics from law enforcement agencies across the state. The report found that major criminal offenses decreased 5.4 percent statewide, though increases were reported in weapons law violations, prostitution and gambling offenses.

The study found domestic violence crimes reported to the Maury County Sheriff’s Department and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department were up in 2013, while the Columbia Police Department and Spring Hill Police Department saw a decrease in those crimes. TBI reported domestic violence cases make up 51.4 percent cases of crimes against persons statewide.

The Maury County Sheriff’s Department was the only local law enforcement agency to report a murder in 2013, and that murder case was linked to domestic violence.

Likewise, narcotics offenses reported to the Sheriff’s Department and Columbia Police Department increased, while these offenses decreased slightly for the cities of Spring Hill and Mt. Pleasant. Narcotics offenses were up slightly statewide, though the state reported an 11.6 percent decrease in the number of meth labs reported over 2012.

View full reports on the Maury County Sheriff’s Department and Columbia, Mt. Pleasant and Spring Hill Police Departments HERE.

MAURY COUNTY

SHERIFF’S

TBI reported a total of 1,848 crimes were recorded in Maury County in 2013, down from 1,936 in 2012 — a 4.5 percent decline. The department logged an 8.3 percent decrease in crime from 2011 to 2012.

The number of arrests by the department was also down in 2013, with 2,406 arrests made — a 5.9 percent drop from the 2,559 arrests in 2012.

Domestic violence-related crimes increased in Maury County. A total of 346 domestic violence crimes were reported in 2013, compared with 320 in 2012. A rise in the number of domestic violence-related aggravated assaults, simple assaults and intimidation cases contributed to the overall increase in domestic violence-related crime. Maury County saw one domestic violence-related murder in both 2012 and 2013.

Drug crime also increased in the county with 171 total drug violations reported in the county for 2013, 11 more than in 2012. DUI cases decreased slightly for the county, with 39 reported in 2013, compared with 43 in 2012.

Messages left seeking comment from Maury County Sheriff Enoch George were not returned Tuesday.

COLUMBIA POLICE

Total offenses fell 7.2 percent in Columbia, with 3,795 offenses recorded in 2013, compared with 4,090 in 2012. Arrests for the city were also down slightly, with 2,349 arrests reported in 2013 compared with 2,383 in 2012. The department reported a 3.2 percent decrease in total crime over 2012.

Domestic violence-related crimes plunged 29 percent in Columbia. The city reported a total of 705 domestic violence crimes in 2013, compared with 994 cases in 2012. The new statistics bring to 38 percent the decline since Columbia’s 1,146 cases in 2011 made it the city with the highest per capita rate of domestic violence in Tennessee.

Columbia did not report any domestic violence-related murders in 2013, though two were reported in 2012. The city saw a decrease in cases of aggravated assaults and simple assaults related to domestic violence, but an increase in intimidation cases related to domestic violence.

Narcotics violations also slightly decreased in Columbia with 305 offenses reported in 2013 and 375 in 2012. DUI cases were down for Columbia in 2013 with 188 reported, a decrease from 206 in 2012.

The city’s murder rate decreased with no murders reported in 2013, down from four in 2012.

Messages left with Columbia Police Chief Tim Potts were not returned Tuesday.

SPRING HILL POLICE

Selected as the second-safest city in Tennessee by real estate firm Movoto in March, the city of Spring Hill saw its total offenses decrease by 9.8 percent from 2012. TBI recorded 929 crimes in the city in 2013, down from 1,030 in 2012. However, arrests were up for Spring Hill, with 402 individuals arrested in 2013 compared with 382 in 2012.

Domestic violence crimes dipped in Spring Hill with a total of 162 domestic violence crimes reported in 2013, down from 190 in 2012.

Narcotics-related violations were also down, with 67 offenses reported in 2013, while 74 were reported in 2012. A total of 50 DUI cases were logged for Spring Hill in 2013, while 56 were reported in 2013.

MT. PLEASANT POLICE

A total of 456 crimes were reported in Mt. Pleasant in 2013, down from 490 in 2012 — a 6.9 percent decline. However, arrests were up in Mt. Pleasant, with 316 individuals arrested in 2013 compared with 289 in 2012.

Domestic violence rates are up in Mt. Pleasant, with a total of 102 domestic-violence related crimes reported in 2013, up from 95 in 2012. The city also saw an increase 27 aggravated assaults related to domestic violence in 2013, up from 12 reported in 2012.

“We are trying to educate people about domestic violence,” Goetz said. ” I think one reason it is up is because we are encouraging people to contact Center of Hope and report it. Sgt. Aimee Deane is our domestic violence officer, and she works hard to follow up on cases and be an advocate for those victims. We just try to do our part.”

Narcotics-related violations were down in Mt. Pleasant, with 36 offenses reported in 2013 — a decrease from 52 in 2012. However, DUI cases were up in the city with 44 cases reported in 2013, up from 35 in 2012.

“We are sending our officers to specialized training for field sobriety tests and doing more checkpoints though the Governor’s Highway Safety Programs,” he said.

Issues like drugs and alcohol can also be contributing factors in domestic violence cases, Goetz said.

“Money and financial issues, jealousy and alcohol abuse are all problems that can put someone over the edge,” he said. “A person who consumes alcohol excessively or does drugs usually intensifies any situation. They aren’t rationally thinking.”

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